Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Pluto and the Probe

Whether you believe Pluto to be a planet or not, the pictures that NASA has been releasing since Wednesday are a stunning reminder that even a dwarf planet can be beautiful and awe-inspiring.  Also awe-inspiring: the work it took to get the New Horizons probe, which took the pictures, to the far reaches of our solar system—3.5 billion miles from home.  On this episode of the How Your World Works podcast, we explain how the New Horizons mission worked.  Hint: It started way before the blastoff nine years ago.   Plus, Paul Rudd becomes the first smaller than life superhero in Marvel’s newest vehicle, Ant-Man. With Rudd measuring only half an inch tall for much of the movie, a lot of visual effects and computer imaging was needed to create the film. We spoke with Ant-Man’s Visual Effects Supervisor, Jake Morrison, to learn the secrets of the Ant-Man.    Plus, are they all pipes?    This episode was sponsored by Casper.  For $50 toward any mattress purchase, visit www.casper.com/WORLD and use the promo code WORLD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices